Proud
by JoaoCondor
Summary: In which Harry comes out to the Weasleys, the family attends their first Pride, and everyone agrees that Arthur is not to be left unsupervised among muggles.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: If it's copyrighted, it's not mine.**

* * *

"Honestly Harry, just suck it up and tell them! You know they won't care!"

Harry sighed as Ginny continued to harass him, Ron and Hermione sitting idly on the opposite bed making no effort to help.

"No Ginny, I don't know that, actually!"

Ginny rolled her eyes so hard that Harry imagined it hurt. He hoped it did.

"Harry, I came out to them almost a year ago and they've been nothing but happy and supportive. Hell, dad's more keen on going to Pride this year than I am."

Harry sighed again.

"Yes, but you're their daughter. It's different."

"Oh please," Ginny scoffed "you know they consider you like a son. Mum would switch you and Ron in a heartbeat if she could."

"Hey!"

Ron's cry of indignation is somewhat muffled behind his large mouthful of sandwich, and Ginny made a face as a piece of lettuce fell from his mouth.

Hermione wandlessly moves the errant lettuce back to Ron's plate with a muttered '_honestly Ronald_'.

Harry drags his hand through his hair as he speaks, looking absently at Ron's plate.

"What if this changes things though?"

Ginny's face softens and she rests her hand on his arm.

"It won't. I promise."

Harry looks up at Ron and Hermione, who are both looking at him encouragingly. Hermione speaks first.

"Really Harry, I don't think Arthur and Molly will have any issue with you being gay. Even Ron didn't."

"Hey!" Ron squawks indignantly again "I'm a very open minded person!"

Ginny snorts, Hermione raises her eyebrows, and even Harry can't contain his laughter, only deepening Ron's pout.

"I knew before either of you did" Ron mutters.

This time Ginny raises an eyebrow.

"How do you figure that?"

"That's easy," Ron grouses "the quidditch magazines."

When he doesn't get any response, Ron huffs and clarifies.

"Straight blokes don't generally wank to quidditch magazines."

Immediately, Harry turns a deep scarlet red and Ginny bursts out laughing.

"Ronald!" Hermione scolds, slapping him on the shoulder.

Ron simply shrugs, unperturbed, and returns to eating his sandwich.

Harry pinches the bridge of his nose and clears his throat.

"Well, it can't possibly be worse than you all just finding that out, so I'm off to come out then."

With that, Harry is quickly out the door, his face still an unflattering shade of pink.

* * *

Arthur is in the sitting room tinkering with what appears to be an electric tea kettle when Harry finds him, looking thoroughly perplexed by the contraption.

"Why on earth would you put water into this when all the other books say to keep water away from the electricity?"

"The water doesn't actually touch the electric bits."

Arthur looks up at Harry.

"Ah, Harry! I didn't hear you come down. You mean this all isn't electrifried?"

Harry sits in the chair opposite him, always wary of getting close to any of Arthur's projects.

"No, it's actually quite safe. There's only enough electricity to heat the kettle and boil the water."

Arthur looks positively astounded by this news, putting the kettle down on the table in front of him and leaning back into the sofa.

"_Ingenious_," he whispers.

Harry smiles at the older man, desperately hoping this dynamic doesn't change once he's come out.

"Something on your mind, Harry?"

Harry startles slightly, surprised by Arthur's perceptiveness, even in the depths of his tea kettle fascination.

"Um, well, yes actually. There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a little while now, but haven't really been sure how to bring it up."

Arthur sits up straight in his seat, looking momentarily concerned.

"You're not sick are you?"

"No, no," Harry shakes his head "nothing like that. Nothing bad. At least I don't think so."

Arthur lets out a breath and relaxes back into the sofa cushions.

"There I go, always assuming the worst still. Sorry about that, didn't mean to interrupt."

Harry takes a deep breath, counting down from five in his head before blurting, rather inelegantly;

"I'm gay."

There is a moment of silence that feels like years to Harry, his eyes screwed shut and unconsciously holding his breath, before the moment is broken - and at a much higher volume than Harry had expected.

"Molly!" Arthur bellows up to his wife "Molly get down here!"

Harry's heart sinks. He opens his eyes and lets out the breath he had been holding in time to see the redheaded woman come scrambling down the stairs.

"What? Arthur, what's happened? Have you injured yourself with that ridiculous tea contraption? Because if you have you'll be taking yourself to St. Mungo's this time, I cannot explain another one of your mishaps to the mediwitch at the desk, I just can't!"

Molly bustles into the sitting room, assessing the damage and finding none, to her evident surprise.

"Well," she asks "what is it then?"

A satisfied grin takes over Arthur's face, to Harry's surprise and confusion.

"You owe me a sickle."

Arthur holds out his palm to his wife, satisfied smirk firmly on his face.

Molly raises an eyebrow, hand on her hip, as Harry sits frozen in his chair.

"What on earth for?"

Arthur's smirk only grows.

"He's come out. And right in the middle of my time frame too."

Molly scowls momentarily, before turning to Harry and shaking her head.

"Oh Harry, you couldn't have waited until July?"

Harry's head is spinning from confusion when Molly sits down next to him, now smiling brightly.

"Never mind that though, we're just thrilled you've finally told us."

Harry blinks owlishly at the both of them, prompting Molly to speak again.

"Oh Arthur, you've frightened him with all your shouting! Harry dear, it's alright. We've had an idea for some time, but were waiting for you to feel comfortable telling us."

Harry, still startled and confused, can only manage to utter a quiet;

"Really?"

Molly just nods, pulling him into a hug.

"It's just one of those things a mother knows dear."

"Except for the time frame of course," Arthur interrupts.

"Oh shut up Arthur!"

She turns back to Harry.

"He's going to be insufferable about this."

For the first time since he decided to come out to the Weasleys, Harry fully relaxed, breaking into a grin and laughing at Arthur, happy with the realization that really nothing had changed.

Ginny, Ron, and Hermione chose that moment to join them in the sitting room; Ginny smirking smugly at Harry before gesturing to her parents.

"I told you so."

Any tension left in the room evaporated instantly at Ginny's words, and Molly bustled off to the kitchen to get everyone snacks.

"Oh!" Arthur exclaimed, sitting up from his spot amongst the sofa cushions "You should come with us the to the Proud!"

Harry tilted his head, confused.

"The what?"

Ginny just shook her head and chuckled.

"He means Pride."

Arthur nodded enthusiastically.

"You have to come with us, Harry! I've done some research and it looks fascinating!"

Harry just nodded, thoroughly amused by Arthur Weasley's enthusiasm for all things muggle. Across from him, Ginny rolled her eyes good naturedly.

"Of course he's coming with us dad, how else am I meant to find him a boyfriend?"

At Harry's mortified look, the room once again broke into laughter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I own nothing copyrighted or recognizable.**

* * *

The morning of the parade found Harry, Ron, and Hermione waiting in the living room of the Burrow while a loud discussion raged overhead about Arthur's choice of apparel for the day. Ginny had herded him back upstairs, horrified, when he had come down in a mesh vest and velour track pants, claiming he had seen them in a Muggle catalogue. She had been more or less shrieking from upstairs ever since.

"Oh honestly, it's not as if that's even close to the worst thing he's worn out."

Molly had bustled into the room with a tray of iced tea, as - even so early in the morning - the day was promising to be unusually hot. Surprisingly, she had managed to put together an entirely unremarkable Muggle outfit for the day. Dressed as she was in simple khaki shorts, sandals, and a floral short-sleeved blouse, she wouldn't have looked at all out of place among muggle women her own age.

"Says you," grumbled Ron, slurping his drink "I'd be happy to never see dad in mesh again in my life."

Harry and Hermione both chuckled behind their drinks as they distinctly heard Molly mutter under her breath '_we can only hope_.'

The sound of footsteps on the stairs announced Arthur and Ginny's arrival, along with Ginny's mutinous mutterings, which no one could quite make out.

"Well?" asked Arthur, throwing his arms out in display "Better?"

Relieved nods and noises of assent greeted his new outfit, a simple polo shirt with jeans and loafers, though he looked distinctly disappointed.

"Much better dad.." Ron nodded, before turning to Ginny "you Vanished the mesh, yeah?"

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Of course."

"Alright then," said Mrs. Weasley "now that's sorted let's be on our way. No reason to be late."

She shooed them all towards the Floo, from which they would depart for the Leaky Cauldron before making their way to Muggle London on foot. At Arthur's insistence, and after much reassurance from Harry and Hermione that they would take care of everything, they had agreed to eat breakfast somewhere Muggle and then find a spot to watch the parade long enough before it began as to avoid the worst of the crowds (at Molly's insistence this time).

As they went one-by-one into the fireplace, Ginny held Harry back by the shoulder.

"You alright?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied "it'll be nice to be in the Muggle world for a bit, where nobody knows me or cares at all about my private life. I realized this morning that I've never really been gay in public before."

Ginny scoffed good naturedly.

"Gay in public? That sounds like it could get you arrested."

Harry swatted at her arm.

"You know that's not what I mean!"

She continued to laugh and so he swatted at her again.

"In the Wizarding world everyone knows who I am Gin, knows my face. I couldn't even walk into a gay bar without it being all over the Prophet. In the Muggle world I don't have to worry about a media frenzy, I can just _be_. I don't have to hide my sexuality, or make announcements about it, I can just take things a step at a time, at my own pace."

Ginny studied him for a moment, no longer laughing.

"Honestly I hadn't thought about that, Harry. I mean, I get hounded by the Prophet too, and when I came out it was a big deal - but I was ready. I wanted to be loud about it and for everyone to know, but I can see why you wouldn't. You should be allowed to do things at your own pace, especially this. And if you ever need me to run interference, let me know."

With that, Ginny winked at him and tossed a handful of Floo powder into the fire, spinning away before his eyes, and he quickly followed.


End file.
